Beet harvester and topping machine



oct. 2s', 1927.

J. W. BRIGHT BEET HARVESTER AND TOPPING MACHINE 'FiledsepL 21, 192s s sheets-sheet 1 IZ m, n 7 7 4` Q a .I mm n hm mw N -lfll. 1| HnHN Y ul :n QQ ..-l .f/ zuo o Il.. \\w Il? 1.. 552m E @v RN ill--- @H mm m m13 hv. |\^.m1.-,b\ k Il .uw y l ---l .IU ,QI o o Il. .l vnu. .HWJUL luu o rQ` n k\ m. l um .IJItIllll m uw ....h I L mmv Nw 1" .am .1N @Sa Attorney Oct. 25. 1927.

L w. BRIGHT BEIT HARVESTER AND TOPPING MACHIEIE pt. 2i, 1926 Y 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Attorney oct 25 1927 1- J. w. BRIGHT 646,680

BEET HARYESTZR AND TOPRING MACHINE` Filed sept. 21'. 192s 5 sheets-sham 3 Inventor ttomey y Bym Patented Oct. Z5, 1927.

UNITED STATES JOHN w. BRIGHT, Yor GRAND JUNc'rroN, coLoRnno.

- Bnn'r Ennvns'rnn AND TorrrNG MACHINE.

. .Appncafion med serptembelai, 192e. rseriai Naieaszia.

The present invention relates toa machine for harvesting and topping beetsand has for its 'principal object to provide a wheeled frame having digging means thereon Awhich will elevate thebeets toa toppingy mech-. anisrn su'spended'fromv the frame; `The top?? ping mechanism will deliver the beets to a conveyer whichin turn will deliver them to a receptacle.

An importantfobject of the invention lies inthe provision of a topping mechanism whichinjcludes a plurality of rotatableele-V ments resilientlymounted and positioned to guide a beet past a cutter which will sever the ltop from the beet.

Another very important object of the invention lies in the provision `of'a machine of this nature with a simple construction ,that will prove thoroughly reliable and ef` as will be hereinafter more icie'nt Vin operation, a structure which is strong and durable and otherwise well adapted to the purpose for which it is'designed. With the above and numerous other ob jectsin view as will appearas the descripltion proceeds, the invention resides in certain novel features of construction, and in VJfully described and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a top plan view'of the machine embodying the features of my invent-ion, Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, .Y

Fig. 3 is a vertical section therethrough showing the beet topping means,

Fig. t is a. detailed horizontal section taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fg- 3,

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing a modificationof the cutting structure,f Fig. 6 is a vertical section therethrough,

-j Fig. 7 `is a perspective view ofthe blade.

` Referring to the drawing in detail it will" vbe seen thatthe frame includes al rear transf 'verserail 5 having siderails 6 projectingv .forwardly therefrom and at intermediate portions converging towards yeach other as at.;`

7 so thatthe frontfextremities of thev sides are closer together than Ythe rear extremities thereof.. Cross braces 8 and9 are disposed btweenthesiderails 6, one forwardly ofthe portions 7 and one between the portions 7.

P1ates l) are xedrto therear lPortions. o'fjiV the railsG o'urnaled therethrough f an il einer entra-mitica of the combination and arrangement of parts.

Iare fixed rear wheels l2. cross `member laextends between the front l`extremities of the side rails 6 and has rockably mounted in brackets 1 5 an inverted vU-shaped shaft'l on the extremities ofv whichV are journaled Vfront wheelsy 17. A crank 18 projectsf'rom' the axle '16 and a link 19 is engagedthere-y with vand ralso engaged with a lever 20 '.pivotedon a bracket 2l .rising from the cross 'member 9 and havinga series of teeth thereon' with which cooperates a suitable fdetent 22'on the lever 20. Thus thefor'ward f end of the frame may be raised andI lowered.

I "Vertical standards 23 are mounted i'n keeper brackets 24 on the rails 6 vin front of -the'portions 7 andsupport digging andv guiding elements 24 whichare extended' upwardly. and rearwardly and converge rearwardly towards Veach other Afor thek purpose of digging the beets from the ground andthe beets will be folCed upwardlyfand rearwardlyzto aI :top-v pin g..mechz inism which will" be'described laten Braces 25 are pivotallyenga'gedas at 26 with intermediate portions ofthe 'stand- .ards 2 3 and their extremities are provided with slots 27 through which project s uit-` able fastening elements 28. The raising -and loweringof the front end of the frame, as will be seen, governs the ydigging depths'y of Vthe element 24 For, the purposes Ofthis application, the digging and elevating 'mechanism for theframe is to be considered conventional.

The topping me ';l1'anismv supporting structure includes a horizontal uppermember 30 vhaving depending legs 31 at itsends. These legs 31terminate inhorizontalportions 32 which in turn terminate in verticalpprtions l 33.l The portions 33 terminate in horizontal l outwardly extending portions34.v The portions 35 terminat'egin inwardly directed horizontalf'po'rtions 36. The extremities Oiffthe ,portionsfdare slotted as aiti..V .T heflegs 31, are vertically vslotted yas atf38. [Thesefl-legs 34 terminate in vertical -portions`35 ide? y vpending downwardly andthesevertical por- 31 exteiidthrough vkeeper 'brackets 3901i the l y extremities of the rods and a shaft 44 is Ahorizontal portions 36 of the legs 31. Y tical; shafts 48 are journaled 1n the vframes journaled transversely through the frame 43 andeXtends through slots 38 in the legs 31 and has sprockets 45 on its extremities. A VWheel or roller 46 is fixed Vto the shaft 44 in Vthe frame 43 and has a ronghened periphery which-may be formed by teeth or other projections. Frames 47 are mounted on the Ver- 47 and extend through the slots 37. Rollers 0r. Wheels 49 are iiXed on the shafts 48 and extend in a horizontal plane. The peripheles 0f these whee'ls 49 are roughened and .beveled as is clearly indicated in Fig. 3.

Beveled gears `30 are mounted Aon the shafts 48r within the. frames 47 and mesh with beveled pinions 51 on shafts 52 which are journaled inthe frames 47 andv have their extremities journaled in the vertical portions `3.3 and slidable therethrough. Sprockets k53 are mounted on shafts 52 and coil springs 54 are disposed about these shafts 52 and impinge against the sprockets and against the vertical portions 33 for normally holding the wheelsyin Are'lative close proximity. It

i will be seen that the wheels 49 and frames .'47 may be pushed awayl from Veach other Yi u.

by the beets'depending upon the size of the` beets.

In Figs. 1, 5 and 7 I have shown one embodiment of a cutting mechanism. This embodiment includes a blade 55 held in place by clamps 56 engaged on arms of frame 58 `Aand on frames 57 in which are journaled circular. or disc cutters 5,7. On the blade 55 there is mounted a guide 62 having a pin 63: piercing. an opening 6l and bolts 64 piercing arcuate slots l so that the guide 62 may be adjusted as desired. The frame 58v is carried on the frame 43 by arms l59. In Fig. 4 a blade 64 is shown having slots 60 the `same as p'late 50so that the guide 62 may be mounted thereon in a manner previously indicated.

Y directlyA to the arms of the framev 58 and has a V-shlape-d cutting edge 65. Theiblade 64 shown in Fig. 3.

As the machine moves vforwardly and the so front end thereof is lowered to engage the c elements 24 in the ground,7 it will be seen that the beets will be pulled fromv the ground yand move up thefinclined portions of the elements 24 to be engagedfby wheels; 46 and 47 which wheels will move theY beets sothat thelkt'ops will, be severedtherefrom by blade. 64,"or bladel depending on which embodi- 'ment of the cutting mechanism is used. It

will alsobe noted that the rollers 46 and-49 y arefyieldably mounted so as to accommodate, different sized beets. These wheels` 46 and 49 will. deliverfthe beets rearwardly to an ele- V vatting` mechanism which will now be de7 .scribed in daan.

Standards rise :and depend fromthe `.secured to said side rails.

This'blade 64 is attached Yto the rollers.

side rails 6 by having intermediate portions A shaft 71 is journaled in the upper ends of the standards 7. A shaft 72 is iournaled in the lower ends of standards 78 which are adjustably mount- T ed on the side rails by keeper brackets 74. An endless belt 75 is trained over rollers mounted on the shafts 71 and 72 for receiving the Vbeets from the wheels`46 and 49.

A shaft 77 is journaled in the plates 10 in 7 front .of the shaft 11 and is operated by the axle shaft 11 through gears 78. A sprocket 79 is mounted on the shaft 77 and a sprocket 8() is mounted on a shaft. 71. A chain 81 is trained over the sprockets 79 and 80. Sprockets 82 aremounted on the ends of the shaft 77 tov the outside Vof the main; framel and have trained thereover chains A83 which are also trained over sprockets 53 for operat-V ing the rollers 49. Sprockets 84 are mount-V ed on the axle shaft 11 and have chains 85 trained thereover which are also trained over the sprockets 45 for operating 'the roller 46. A receptacle 86 is mountedto the rearof the main frame on the standards- 70'and has a hinged baffle 87 therein so as'to deflect the beets delivered-into the receptacle either to one side or the other.V The sides of the receptacle have hinged lower portions 88 hinged as at 89 with latch structure 90 associated therewith. Cables 91 are engaged with the latch structures for moving them to released position. These cables are trained over sleeves 92 and are engaged with a lever y93 mounted at a convenient point for ope-ration upon the drivers seat.

It is thought that the construction, operacombination and arrangement ofy parts mayl be resorted to without departing from the spirit or'scope of the invention fas hereinafter claimedor sacrificing any 'of its advantages. e y v. Having thus` described my invention what I claim as new is: e

1,. A mechanism of the class described including a main frame, a pairof rollers dis Y.

posed in a horizontal plane, means for yieldyably mountingv the rollers on the frame, another roller disposed in aV vertical plane, means-for yieldably mountingy the vertical rollerA towards the frame, and a cutter mounted on thevframe in close proximity 2. A mechanism` of the class described in;a

iso'f e. mounted on the frame in close proximity to the rollers, the horizontal rollers being provided with beveled edges, all the edges ofv the rollers being roughened.

3. A mechanism of the class described including a wheeled chassis, a supporting structure mounted in the chassis, a pair of rods resiliently mounted in the upper portion of the supporting structure and extending downwardly, a frame attached to said rods, a rollerjournaled in said frame and disposed in a vertical plane, a pair of frames slidably engaged with the lower portion of the supporting structure, springs urging the pair offrames inwardly towards each other, and rollers journaled in said pair of frames;

4. A mechanism of the class described including a wheeled chassis, a supporting structure mounted in the chassis, a pair of rods resiliently mounted in the upper portion oll thesupporting structure and extending downwardly, a frame attached to said rods, a roller journaled in said :trame and disposed in a vertical plane, a pair of frames slidably engaged with the lower portion of the supporting structure, springs urging the pair of frames inwardlytowards each other, rollers journaled in said pair of frames, a cutting mechanism associatedl with and grouped with the rollers. 'Y

5.'A mechanism of the class described including a wheeled chassis, a supporting structure mounted in the chassis, a. pair of rods resiliently mounted in the upper portion of the supporting structure and extending downwardly, a frame attached to said rods, a roller journaled in said frame and disposed in a vertical plane, a pair of frames slidably engaged with the lower portion of the supporting structure, springs urging the pair of frames inwardly towards each other,

rollers journaled in said pair of frames, a cutting mechanism associated with and .y

grouped with the rollers, the pair of rollers being disposed'in a horizontal plane.

6. A mechanism ofthe class described including a wheeled chassis, a supportingstructure mounted in the chassis, a pair of rods resiliently mountedin the upper portion of the supporting-structure and extending downwardly, a frame attached to said rods, a roller journaled in said frame and disposed in a vertical plane, a pair of frames slidably engaged with the lower portionaof the supporting structure,springs lurging the l pair of frames inwardly towards each other, rollers j ournaled in said pair of rames,a cutting mechanism associated with and grouped with the rollers, thev pair of rollers being disposed in a horizontal plane, and 'having their peripheries beveled. t

7. A mechanism of the class described including a wheeled chassis, a supporting structure mounted in the chassis, a pair of rods resiliently mounted in the upper por j tion of the supporting structure and extending downwardly, a -rame attached to said rods, a rollerjournaled in said frame and disposed in a vertical plane, a pair of frames slidably engaged with vthe lower portion 0I the supporting'structure, springs urging the pair of frames inwardly towards each other, roll-ers journaled in said pair of fra-mes, and a cutting mechanism associated ,with and grouped with the rollers, the pair of rollers being disposed in a horizontal plane, and having their peripheries beveled, the peripheries of all the rollers being roughened.

8. A mechanism of .the class describedl includinga .main frame, a pair of rollers disposed in a horizontal plane, means for yieldably mounting theorollers on the frame, n

another roller disposed in a vertical plane, means for yieldably mounting the vertical roller towards the frame, a cutting mechanism grouped with the rollers and provided with an aperture and a pair of arcuate slots, a guide member having a'pin rotatable in the opening and bolts slidable in the slots.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

J OI-IN` W. BRIGHT. 

